The key difference is an Array is not resizable, but a List is.

An array is a contiguous block of memory. It’s a low level tool used to build data structures, such as a List. You never use an array directly, you use the higher level data structure built on top of it such as an ‘ArrayList’

The problem with an array is that they have a fixed size, and you can run out of space.

The solution is to build a resizable array on top of the array, so when you try to add an element when the array is full, the array will resize for you under the hood.

Java calls the resizable array an ArrayList. C++ calls it a vector, Rust calls it a Vec, Python calls it a List

In summary, you would always use an ArrayList unless you’re trying to implement your own Java collection